How Much to Run Central AC in Alaska? $1.01/Hr, $228/Summer
Running central air conditioner in Alaska costs about $1.01 an hour and roughly $228 for the summer — 3,500 W for 2.5 hours a day at 28.83¢/kWh.
· Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · next EIA update ~Oct 23
On this page: CalculatorTableHow we calculatedSources
Jump to calculator ↓Slider nudges the Alaska rate; the URL keeps it.
- Per hour
- $1.01 at 28.83¢/kWh
- Per summer
- $228 (92 days)
- Hours per day
- 2.5 (EIA division cooling degree-days-scaled)
- Degree-days used
- 667 (EIA STEO Pacific census division)
- Wattage
- 3,500 W (typical 2,000–5,000)
- Alaska rate
- 28.83¢ (July 2026)
- Rank of 20 cold states
- 1 (most expensive)
Why this number
Alaska runs central air conditioner less than the national baseline in June–August — 2.5 hours a day on the EIA division degree-day scaling used here, against 3.8 nationally — and pays 28.83¢/kWh for it. Those two numbers, times 3,500 W, are the whole $228.
Central air conditioner cost in Alaska by hours per day — per day / per summer
| Hours per day | Alaska avg 28.83¢ | Chugach Electric Assn 21.2¢ | Matanuska Electric Ass 23.4¢ | Golden Valley Elec Ass 30.3¢ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | $1.01 / $93 | $0.74 / $68 | $0.82 / $75 | $1.06 / $98 |
| 2 h | $2.02 / $186 | $1.48 / $137 | $1.64 / $151 | $2.12 / $195 |
| 4 h | $4.04 / $371 | $2.97 / $273 | $3.28 / $301 | $4.24 / $390 |
| 6 h | $6.05 / $557 | $4.45 / $410 | $4.91 / $452 | $6.36 / $585 |
| 8 h | $8.07 / $743 | $5.94 / $546 | $6.55 / $603 | $8.48 / $781 |
| 12 h | $12.11 / $1,114 | $8.90 / $819 | $9.83 / $904 | $12.73 / $1,171 |
What Alaska’s utilities charge for it
| Utility | Residential customers | ¢/kWh (EIA-861 2024) | Per hour | Per summer at 2.5 h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chugach Electric Assn Inc | 97,048 | 21.2¢ | $0.74 | $168 |
| Matanuska Electric Assn Inc | 64,205 | 23.4¢ | $0.82 | $185 |
| Golden Valley Elec Assn Inc | 40,675 | 30.3¢ | $1.06 | $240 |
What the numbers say about central air conditioner in Alaska
NOAA publishes no state series for Alaska, so this page uses the EIA STEO Pacific census division cooling degree-days, June–August 2026: 667, 65% of the US 1,032, which is why this page runs central air conditioner 2.5 hours a day against the national 3.8 — 1.3 hours less. At Alaska’s July 2026 rate of 28.83¢/kWh that makes it the most expensive of the 20 cold states for central air conditioner: $228 for the 92-day summer, against Montana’s $47 and Alaska’s $228. Chugach Electric Assn Inc, Alaska’s largest utility with 97,048 residential customers, averages 21.2¢ — $168 for the same hours — while Golden Valley Elec Assn Inc at 30.3¢ comes to $240, a $72 spread on identical use. Alaska’s July 2026 rate of 28.83¢ sets the $1.01 per hour; its winter average of 26.11¢ is 2.72¢ lower, a difference that matters for heating loads but not for central air conditioner use in June–August.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run central air conditioner per hour in Alaska?
$1.01 an hour for a 3,500 W unit at Alaska’s July 2026 average of 28.83¢/kWh (3,500 ÷ 1,000 × 0.2883); at Chugach Electric Assn Inc’s 21.2¢ it is $0.74.
How much does central air conditioner cost for the whole summer in Alaska?
About $228: 3,500 W × 2.5 hours a day × 92 days (June–August) × 28.83¢. The hours are the national 3.8 h/day scaled by EIA STEO Pacific census division cooling degree-days, June–August 2026 (667 against the US 1,032); enter your own hours above for your own figure.
Is central air conditioner expensive to run in Alaska compared with other cold states?
Alaska is the most expensive of the 20 cold states on this site at $228 a summer; the range runs from Montana ($47) to Alaska ($228), driven almost entirely by the electricity rate.
How we calculated this
Worked for central air conditioner in Alaska: 3,500 W ÷ 1,000 × 0.2883 $/kWh = $1.01 per hour; hours per day = 3.8 × (667 ÷ 1,032) = 2.5; 3,500 ÷ 1,000 × 2.5 × 92 × 0.2883 = $228 for the summer. Rate: EIA Electric Power Monthly 5.6.A (July 2026); degree-days: EIA STEO Pacific census division cooling degree-days, June–August 2026, against the US total; utility prices: EIA-861 2024.Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity rates · DSIRE incentive records · public IRS/OBBBA guidance. Figures are modeled estimates, not quotes or tax advice. See our methodology.
Where to go next
- Cost to run central air conditioner (national page) — The 3,500 W and 3.8 h/day baseline this page scales for Alaska, with the sourced benchmark.
- Cost to heat a home in Alaska — Gas, propane, oil, heat pump and resistance per MMBtu at Alaska’s own prices — the whole-house picture.
- Find your electricity rate by ZIP — Alaska averages 28.83¢ but its utilities span the table above — send your own rate into this calculator.
- Solar panel cost in Alaska — Alaska’s 28.83¢ July rate, utilities and rate history on the solar side.
- Cost to run space heater in Alaska — Same Alaska rates and degree-days applied to a 1,500 W space heater.
- Cost to run heat pump in Alaska — Same Alaska rates and degree-days applied to a 3,500 W heat pump.
- Cost to run central air conditioner in New York — $205 for the summer at 29.9¢ and 2.1 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.
- Cost to run central air conditioner in Illinois — $191 for the summer at 19.22¢ and 3.1 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.